New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-11

The rcplies are presented in condensed form
AS possible.
GORDIAN KNOT EASILY CUT
Asa I. Goodrich Post. 433. G. A. X.
ChurchylIe N. Y, June 2, 1887.
o,,r th,,+een members were present. but they
- "a GOOD men as any in our Post ID Inc Vole
was IL for and 2 against t3 UNANIMOUS " - onr
the vetoes. We do not know OF any VeVei that
,ublic poothouse The Post votes Unanimously .nIs
1avar service pension of not less than $e nor
more than 81 per month to all volunteers anu ~.
lar soldiers. sailors and marines VINO pot We are In
favor OF tho granting OF arrearages OF pensions "
ali pensioners from the time OF disability fu'I ~
.o cowernment at the time Of his enlistment ought
TO he the proof that he was sound ana no,snS
eureeon, his acceptance shouio oc 'ah0" 90 f
John stewart, Commander
THE MEN WITHOUT HOSPITAL RECORD.
John G. Foster Post 7.
Nashua. N H., June ] 4, 1887.
While in tho field We were subject 10 m.ho as
orders only. Now we are not Ana, as INV nnio,
can citizens we have a right to express our Opinions
On any matter politically or otherwise, as freely ~
apy ,uhcr citizen who does not belong 10 the o' !.
This too without hue and cry oelns .s.I, .i"e
NV opinion on Tension matters Is prooaoly inc
opinion of three fourths of the men VINO ohiSeu ~
1s6I and 1902, FOR three years or during the WI.
think il Is a fact that Will be acknowledge by d
majority Of Officers having command OF forces IN ~,
field that the men of early enlistment say III az
made tho best soldiers and the ones TO De inc
, most seoendsd npin i do not say bit that there
were just GOOD men ENLISTED in CD and oi but h
after the call for men became 50 great, ana INV
bounties offered became large and tempting
great many men enlisted for the bounty Alone ai
after reaching the field were found 70 DC 'otay UNI 70
for military duty They only an expense 10
the Government, inasmuch as they were conli"usn,
on tho sckist or in the hospital AiVcr ,ne'
reached home 1t easy for them 10 get pehsion'
as they had a good hospital record' and, as theS
had been examined by a regular physician at en-
isment and pronounced ablc-bodled OF course their
fisa ty re-
their exposure while In the service Those who en-
listed in 61 and go did not have the offer Of large
bounties to tempt them. They enlisted out OF pure
notr;otism Their only desire was to put down the
Rebellion and get home again as soon as possioie
In order to do So they kept away from tno ,
obliged TO go to them. Struggling manfully to DO
their whole duty, to keep up on the weary march 10
be In at the fight to help close the war and go home
aoaIn-tbat was all they desired But now at this
date with old age creeping on apace, thoy hno
themselves unable to earn comfortable lvihg; tneS
try for pensiOn. but they are rejected because the
records show that they well when in the service
or In other words they did not have good hospital
record -,
There are scores Of mon in my city who served
three ana four years faithfully: to-day they are
broken down In health and unable TO earn living.
They have to call the @. A X. men to help them
out Under the existing laws they cannot obtain
pension simply because in doing their whole duty
In tho field they do hospital records To
belp them out This is a shame when the Treasury
OF the United States is so full that It puzzles wise
men what to do with the surplus Thee men.
needy and destitute tO-Cay, arc inc ones mat
the country what it is. j say give them service
pension. pension for ALL according to the time
served In army: to those suffering from wounds
or disease give pension according TO the injury or
disease. DO away with the small army Of pension
agents and clerks whose salaries alone would 60
good way toward pensioning tho soldiers. Do away
with tho Dependent Pensions bill. which at its best
would never give satisfaction. and give a service
pension bill.-Benjamin s. Woods, Commander
NOT LIARS AND THIEVES.
Seth C. Earle Post 1885,
Ottawa. ILL.,, June 3, 1897
Nne-tenths Of nv Post would like to give In an
osicaI manner their views Oh pension bills and We
toes But they have muzzed us. | have personal
aoquainance with nearly every member Of Post 1885,
and with many OF them hi @ discussed some OF the
questions you ask.
On answer about three-fourths favor the De-
pendent bill. Others think 1t is paupers' bill t2
Nneto en-twentieths favor service pension OF some
sort. Tho majority favor 81 month. t3) We do
not favor special bills as rule. Most Of them are
for benefit of some political favorte officer or
officers widow Of the favored classes. (4 Assis'
and not impede the soldier and his widow in the
prosecution of their claims. Give them the benefit
Of tho records and treat them as they were honest
and truthful, not ~ liars and thieves (5) As for
the county do not know; but hero, where have
one-eishth Of the population Of the county VIC had
seven three months OF those have
five the State and National homes. There
two In the county roorhouse. Besides these
have had TO help the families VI five or six every
winter and spring; they are not pensioners. Now
that all Of passed the prime Of life there VIII
be constantly increasing number.
We have now our roster 226 men, about iS5
In good standing. We have expended for relief In
eight months s209 besides what has been given
through the poormaster and individual charity
Nichas Hanifcn, Commander.
ADAIR COUNTY EMPHATIC
Corporal Dix Post, 90.
Klrksvile, NO., May 20, 1887.
Your several questions were presented and re-
piled to follows:
"A. az Repeal Of the limitations Of the Arrears act
~ voted yes There are $50 members Of the Post
and $50 veterans in Adair County. The answers
above fairly represent them ALL The veterans Of
Adar County regard 1t the Imperative duty Of
Congress to provide for the partial support Of tn"
allows solder Of this county to be taken TO the
poorhouse-r c. Harris, Commander
A STRONG WORD FOR THE WIDOWS OF PRIVATE
SOLDIERS.
Pomeroy OHIO, Juno %, 1887
have pension proposition which am advocat.
ing with all my might, namely, That the WIDOWS and
pension rolls
All over this land can be found the widows Of
soldiers who are very poor. Every reader Of this
article must have a personal knowledge Of Of
them Those who are industrious live by doing the
family washing and ho"secleaning OF theiI moro
prosperous neighbors Others are driven TO less
honorable means Of livelihood and drag their children
down with them. Their husbands good SOL
diers but common laborng men. They came
homo from the army glad Of the victory they had
clad Of being free from military service. They
entered the paths Of civil life 1oyfully They mar
ned wives. They became tho fathers Of families
and In OF time died. These men had slept
on the ground In the field for four years. They had
often been without enough to eat They had en-
cured untold hardships After the excitement OF
victorious rturn had OFF they began to die.
leaving families unprovidcd for Who can tell whas
really caused their draths Their widows have be-
come the drudecs Of the community.
We Grand Army men have great reunions and
eml-hrcs Opera houses and public halls are
crowded with fair and brave men, the mcp
IN hand ONE uniforms with brass buttons; but the
w'cows Of the Ioor common soldiers who rode With
" n
Army OF the Pojmac did their duty every here-the
widows Of hundreds Ut thesa ulen ara not seen ut